US President Donald Trump, facing pressure to scale back a US-China trade dispute contributing to a global economic slowdown, yesterday said that serious talks would begin soon, although another round has been expected in Washington next month.
Trump said his trade negotiators had on Sunday received two “very good calls” from China, but a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said that he did not know what calls Trump was talking about.
Trump expressed his optimism about China hours after he sent mixed messages on the tariff dispute.
Photo: Reuters
He at first seemed to express regret on Sunday over escalating the trade spat, but the White House later said his only regret was that he did not impose even higher tariffs on China.
Yesterday, Trump claimed the Sunday evening conversations meant China is serious about making a deal.
He said later that talks also had taken place before Sunday.
“I think we’re going to have a deal, because now we’re dealing on proper terms. They understand and we understand,” Trump said.
He declined to say whether he had spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) or to identify those involved in the most recent conversations, saying only that they were at the “highest levels.”
“This is the first time I’ve seen them where they really want to make a deal, and I think that’s a very positive step,” Trump added as he met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on the sidelines of the G7 summit.
Whenever he is asked about China, Trump almost always says he believes they want to make a deal more than he does.
He said yesterday that the two sides would begin “talking very seriously,” adding that after the calls he believes the Chinese “mean business.”
However, the Chinese said that they were unaware of any recent conversations.
“I have not heard of the weekend calls mentioned by the United States,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang (耿爽) said.
A Chinese delegation long had been expected to travel to Washington next month to continue talks and that remained the case after Trump’s escalation on Friday following China’s tariff announcement.
It was unclear if Trump was referring to the previously scheduled talks next month or something else.
After the China trade talks broke down this spring, Trump and Xi agreed in June to resume negotiations.
Talks in Shanghai last month ended without any indication of progress, and the White House said at the time that Chinese negotiators would come to Washington next month.
Meanwhile, Trump’s private golf resort near Miami is the likely venue for next year’s summit, when it is the US’ turn to host the annual gathering, Trump said yesterday, adding that a final decision has not been made.
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